Paul Wellens, the St Helens captain, is asking rugby league authorities to
change their rules, to keep team-mate Kyle Eastmond out of the clutches of
rugby union clubs.

Crossing over: St Helens' Kyle Eastmond is considered an exceptional talent now considering a switch to rugby unionPhoto: PA

By Rob Stewart

7:41PM GMT 07 Feb 2011

Wellens is concerned about his side being deprived of Eastmond who has held talks with Premiership side Bath and been linked to Sale Sharks, and he wants the Super League salary cap to be re-thought to ensure one of the game’s rising stars does not switch codes.

“The salary cap is a great concept with regards to keeping clubs on a sound financial footing and in that it lends to a more even competition, but when it was introduced it was on the basis that the wealth of talent would be spread evenly,” Wellens told The Daily Telegraph at the launch of Super League XVI.

“If Kyle couldn’t stay with us and ended up, say, at Huddersfield or Salford, then Super League would benefit but if it meant him having to move to a different game or even a different country then it doesn’t serve its purpose.

“You would lose your better, stronger players to rivals sports or the other side of the world. I have always thought more could be done, especially for clubs that develop their own talent through their academies.”

Eastmond has a year left on his Saints contract and Wellens is hoping the England scrum-half will resist the charms of rugby union and commit his future to the club for the good of the sport as a whole.

“They should have another look at it. The sport does not want to lose players of Kyle Eastmond’s calibre. They are the types who will maintain the sport’s profile,” Wellens added.

“But not only would Saints benefit, Wigan who have nurtured the Tomkins brothers and Leeds, who have brought through Danny Maguire and Kevin Sinfield would as well. They should be rewarded, especially to halt the loss of star players.

“Sam and Joel Tomkins have just signed new five-year contracts which is great for Wigan and the sport in general, and we want to make sure we keep the best talent and that they want to stay in the game and feel they are being financially rewarded.

“From a Saints perspective we’d love him to stay because he is a prodigious talent and has a great career ahead of him. But there can be no doubt that union offers greater financial rewards at the moment.”

The Rugby Football League said the salary cap — which stands at £1.65 million per club — was under constant review and that it already took into account home-grown talent.

A spokesman for the game’s governing body said: “The rules were changed in June last year so that from 2011 every club is allowed to nominate one club-trained player for whom the first £50,000 of their salary cap does not count towards the salary cap.”

Wellens and his team-mates will face Super League champions Wigan in Cardiff on Saturday.

Saints head coach Royce Simmons is expected to oversee his club’s start to the season despite being on compassionate leave in Australia where his father is seriously ill.